Traumatic day

Archie was left at the vet's about 9am, and I went round to the post office, but about 9.20 I had the first of several phone calls from the vet - always a fright! They wanted to cut out the other, smaller lump. Yes. Then another phone call saying they'd found a lump on his neck where they inject the sedative. Can they cut it out? Yes. Then when I was home, another phone call... they'd had to abandon the op, because he was hyperventilating under anaesthetic, and they couldn't help him, by pumping his chest as they normally would. They wanted to do a scan of his heart, his lungs, his liver, but that requires an anaesthetic. They did do an xray of him sitting and also got him on his side. This showed quite alarming things - his heart is very round (he has a murmur) his lungs are very small, his liver is enlarged and pressing up on everything. I forget all the details, but it sounded horrendous. The vet was very concerned.

It was then that we realised we couldn't go didn't feel like going to the Illegal Eagles concert tonight. I texted another couple of pals to offer free tickets, and they're Eagles fans and were absolutely delighted! So that was that sorted.

Then we went to collect Archie in the afternoon, when we could see the vet who was dealing with him. She'll try again next week, using a different anaesthetic. A scan is needed, then while he's under, they'll cut out the two (three) lumps...

But yet he seems healthy enough. Apart from his pancreatitis… He can walk for miles with Elizabeth and JR. He loves his food. He hasn't lost weight. He never pants like other dogs. He does have his little turns at night, which have been happening the past three nights, where he runs around, scrabbles on the wooden floors, lies down for about five minutes, sighing, trying to sleep, then suddenly gets up again and runs off. He digs into the carpets and rugs, and wuffs at the back door. This can go on for hours. Is he in pain? But yet he dozes happily all day, it's just at night this nehaviour starts. And he hasn't had it absolutely ages - luckily he was OK when he was with his sitters and we were away.

He's a worry...

PS A photo by a random stranger from yesterday - none taken today.

I’ve replaced the photo, having remembered that I did take a photo of a reluctant Archie in the vet car park.